section 2: chapter 11

Question 1

response to the Tsars decision to go to war in 1914

Answer 1

• wave of patriotism
• strike activity ceased
• Duma dissolved itself to avoid politics in wartime.
• Petersburg=Petrograd
• huge(Russian ‘steamroller’)assembled

Question 2

why was discontent reignited during the war in 1914

Answer 2

heavy defeats at Tannenberg (august) and Masurian lakes (Sept)

Question 3

wartime organisational changes

Answer 3

• July 1914 - established ‘military zones’ - civilian authority suspended
• ‘union of zemstva’ -provide medical facilities

Question 4

what happened in May 1915

Answer 4

factory owner/ businessmen established a ‘congress of representatives’ to help coordinate production

Question 5

what is the ‘Zemgor’

Answer 5

• june 1915 -zemstvo union joined w/ cities to form ‘Zemgor’
• chaired by prince Lvov
• wanted to help war effort, never allowed any direct influence

Question 6

what was the progressive bloc

Answer 6

• Aug. 1915
• made up of deputies from 4th Duma
• demanded Tsar establish ‘gov of public confidence’ (refused)

Question 7

what happened in September 1915

Answer 7

• Nicholas appointed himself commander in chief of Navy/army
• Lacked military experience + already lost confidence of men.
• Further distanced from developments in Petrograd.

Question 8

outline events in Petrograd during the war

Answer 8

• Rasputin =more power
• liberals/socialists demanding more change in gov
• dec 1916 - Rasputin murdered by Tsars nephew - Nicholas horrified but ignored opposition demands.

Question 9

Military Issues 1914-17

Answer 9

• Mobilised 15 mill
• Lack clothing/weapons
• mid 1916 - munition improved but many officers killed
• end of 1916 - morale had plummeted 1.5 mil deserted

Question 10

internal problems during the war

Answer 10

• military spending soared as war progressed
• production slumped - needed to provide army
• naval blockades damaged trade
• cost of living rose by 300%

Question 11

events in February1917

Answer 11

early feb - strikes took place in 58 factories
23rd feb - striking workers joined women’s march in Petrograd

Question 12

the revolutionary days (24th28th Feb 1917)

Answer 12

-strikes/demonstrations = Petrograd at standstill
- Duma president demanded Tsar take action - ignored
- 40 killed/soldiers mutinied
- provisional committee set up (supported by army high command)
- revolutionaries established Petrograd soviet

Question 13

what happened on the 2nd march 1917

Answer 13

Nicholas abdicated in favour of his brother - grand duke Mikhail

Question 14

the provisional government

Answer 14

Mikhail rejected Tsardom + passed political authority to provisional gov (under Prince Lvov)
- members represented elites
- provisional gov meant to be temporary but accepted (army/police)

Question 15

the petrograd soviet

Answer 15

• workers/peasants saw provisional gov as ‘committee of wealthy’
• PS elected by capitals soviets
• dominated by Mensheviks + SR’s
• composed of radical socialist intellectuals

Question 16

alexander Kerensky

Answer 16

• only member of both PG and PS
• negotiated agreement that two bodies work together - ‘dual power’

Question 17

what did the provisional gov promise

Answer 17

• amnesty for political prisoners
• basic civil liberties
• right to organise trade unions + strikes
• freedom religion/press
• tsarist police replaced with ‘peoples militia’

Question 18

Petrograd soviets response to PG promises

Answer 18

• accepted these promises
• did not demand land redistribution/ nationalisation of industry.

Question 19

dual power in action

Answer 19

• PG - wanted to maintain war effort
• PS - wanted to focus on social conditions
• PG - discipline needed to end desertions
• PS - improve living standard for peasants
• PS - encouraged workers/peasants to assert their rights

Question 20

what was the response to PG’s efforts to continue war

Answer 20

• April 1917 - anti war demonstration - led to resignation of 2 ministers
• replaced by socialists from PS
• july 1917 - prince Lvov replaced as chairman by Kerensky

Question 21

who was Kornilov

Answer 21

• commander in chief of Russian army
• mounted right wing coup in august

Question 22

why did some of the upper class support kornilov

Answer 22

• they were disillusioned with provincial gov (failed to win war + maintain order during ‘July days’ when riots involving Bolsheviks broke out

Question 23

what was Kerensky’s response to the coup

Answer 23

• initially supported Kornilov
• panicked + released Bolsheviks imprisoned after July.
• allowed them arms to halt Kornilov’s advance
• coup collapsed

Question 24

outline the political situation in summer 1917

Answer 24

• little support for PG
• food supplies chaotic
• continuation of war + gov failure to redistribute land = suspicions gov was postponing greater democracy in order to preserve own power.